Blogging By Mail #3: Hungarian Rhapsody

When I was very little, perhaps three or four years old, I was fascinated by the mail.  I wondered why everyone in our house got mail except for me.  So my parents, enterprising people that they were, sent away in my name for a sticker book that had large pictures of different animals in it, each one with a sticker to punch out and paste on top of its designated spot.  But even better than the sticker book itself was getting mail -- and not just mail,  a package!  Addressed to me, all for me! 

While my love of mail in general has decreased in direct proportion to the number of bills, catalogues and promotional circulars I receive, I still love to get packages.  I live with someone, who, by the nature of his business, ships off and receives packages all the time.  The mail carrier comes, the UPS deliverer comes; the delivery is rarely for me.  But a little over a week ago, I came home from a work-related trip, and there was a white-wrapped package, bedecked with huge gorgeous Hungarian stamps, waiting for me.  Even better, it contained food -- and while I may love packages, that love is easily eclipsed by my passion for food. 

Blogging by Mail is an ingenious event created by Nic of Baking Sheet and Jessica of Su Good Eats, based on an exchange of goodies they had.  They decided that more of us should get in on the fun, and created what amounts to an international food-lovers' exchange.   For Blogging by Mail #3, hosted by the wonderful Cathy of My Little Kitchen, I decided it was high time I got in on the goodies.  So in keeping with the "Home for the Holidays" theme, I baked some goodies, collected some favorite yummies, wrote a note, shared a newspapter food section, some holiday food mags and a few cherished family recipes, and shipped off this assortment to someone I don't know (yet), but am hoping will enjoy this package as much I'm enjoying my surprise box from Kriszti in Hungary, which contained the delightful assortment pictured above:

A jar of pickled peppers (also known as paprika in Hungary)
A packet of genuine Hungarian paprika powder
A tube of Piros Arany, apparently a paprika paste which will be wonderful in goulash, I'm sure
Two bars of Hungarian chocolate
A large, very yummy-looking Pick salami

Kriszti also included a lovely note, telling me that "everything is about paprika here," a Hungarian calendar, and some food circulars in Hungarian.  She also made a CD with recipes for a potato and egg casserole and lecso, a saute of onions, tomatoes and peppers, seasoned with -- you guessed it -- paprika.  It can be used with eggs, meat or as a sauce, which sounds similar to piperade, a mixture I love.  Many thanks, Kriszti, for your generosity.  I love Eastern European food, especially in the winter when all those creamy, paprika-laden stews are so warming.  I have a feeling that there are goulashes and paprikashes in my future!

Comments

[Zsofi]

Julie,
I cant't wait to read about your adventures cooking Hungarian!Kriszti has put up a great package for you, this is really the stuff I also usually bring from Budapest to Brussels.
Have fun and enjoy that salami (oh, if I just could have one thin slice of it right at this moment..)
Zsofi, a Hungarian foodblogger from Brussels

[Joe Bellacero]

As a person who manages to quietly sneak paprika into any number of recipes which somehow overlooked this wonderful spice, I look forward to hearing about your innovations. Enjoy.

Joe

[kriszti]

Hi Julie,
Phew! finally you received the package :)
really glad that you like paprika..i was afraid you wouldn't like it ;hence i sent smaller packaging ;)

Looking forward to seeing your 'experiment' here !

[BNA]

Hi Julie -- paprika is a very very good thing. I've just tagged you for the You Are What You Eat meme...have fun!

[Ashley Bowers]

Should be alot of fun to read about it! I love cooking with Paprika !!